Sports

Soccer Rules:
Referees

Referees are part of the game of soccer in order to make the game as fair as possible. There may be times when we don't agree with the referees, but the reality is that referees make the game more enjoyable for everyone.

The referee's decision is always final including the final score.

In professional soccer there are usually one referee and two assistant referees. In some games there may be a fourth or even fifth referee calling the game.

Head Referee

The head referee is responsible to enforce the laws and rules of the game. This includes keeping track of the time, calling penalties, stopping play for an injury, checking that the ball meets the proper requirements, and even providing a match report after the game.

Assistant Referee

The assistant referees are generally called linesmen. Each assistant covers one of the touch lines. They make calls regarding whose ball it is when the ball goes out of bounds as well as offside. The assistant referee also provides advice to the head referee.

The assistant referee often uses a flag to signal calls such as offside and possession of the ball.